Improvement in barbs for wire fencing



WiTnEEsEE= J.'S. GROWELL. Barb for Wire-Fencing.

No. 215,888. Pgtented May 27,1879.

11 Ell T311 N-PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE JOHN S. OROWELL, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN BAR BS FOR WIRE FENCING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,888, dated May 27-,1879; application filed '--Qet qber 3, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN S. ORoWELL, ofSpringfield, in the county of Clarke and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Barbs for Wire Fencing; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the manufacture of sheet-metalbarbs for wire fences; and it consists in cutting the blanks out ofwhich the barbs are formed from the main strip without any wastewhatever, and then dividing the blanks from opposite corners toward thecenter, so that the splits will be out of line with each other, as willbe more fully described hereinafter.

Figure 1 represents the barbs as complete in the fence. Fig. 2represents the strip from which the blanks are cut. Fig. 3 is aperspective of one of the barbs after it is bent. Fig. 4 is a plan viewof one of the blanks out of which the barb is formed.

' a represents a strip of suitable sheet metal, which is divided intoblanks c of any suitable size, as shown by the dotted lines at. Theseblanks are cut from the strip one after another in regularorder,'witl1out the slightest waste of material. Either at the same timethat the blanks 0 are being separated from the main strip, the same diethat shears them off may be made to split them from opposite corners, asshown by dotted lines y, toward the center. It will be seen that thesesplits are not in line with each other, for the double purpose ofpreventing the blank from being weakened when they are bent as-shown inFig. 3, and to leave sufficient space between the inner ends of thesplits to allow the wire 03 i to be coiled around them without making abreak in the coil, or

requiring an extra bend in the barb for the wires to accommodatethemselves to the blanks. By thus having the splits extend from oppositecorners out of line with each other, as shown, each barb can be bent inshape at the same time that it is sheared from the main strip, and thusnot require to be handled thereafter for that purpose. I

I am aware that barbs have been made from blanks that are split fromopposite corners; but where the splits are in a line with each otherthey must be handled at least once or twice after being sheared off, forthe purpose, of giving them the necessary shape.

By forming the blanks as here shown, not only can they be sheared fromthe main strip without any waste of material whatever, but, owing to thefact that they require no subsequent handling, they can be made muchmore cheaply than any of those which have the splits in a line with eachother.

I am aware that a four-pointed barb is not new, and I do not claim such,broadly, as my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- A blank for wire-fencebarbs made of a single piece cut in diamond form, and having slits y cutfrom diagonally-opposite corners and inclining past" the center of theblank on -opposite sides, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set myhand-this17th day of September, 1878.

JOHN S. OROWELL.

Witnesses:

DANIEL BOYLE, J. B. OHRIsTIE.

